The influence of migration on the high risk sexual behavior of Polish migrants in the United Kingdom
Objective: to assess the influence of migration on the high risk sexual behavior of Polish migrants in the United Kingdom after 2004.
METHODS:
The cross-sectional study was conducted between March-August 2013 of Polish migrants in the UK with the use of a Computer-Assisted Web Interview method. A self-administered questionnaire which contained DMIS (Bennett) and Self Esteem (Rosenberg) scales was used as the study instrument. Significance was tested by chi-square and McNemar tests.
RESULTS:
Among 408 respondents (56.9% women), median age 32 years, 30.4% admitted to have unprotected sexual contact with a casual partner while in the UK, a greater (p<0.001) frequency than while in Poland (18.8%); more were engaged in unprotected sex after the use of illegal drugs in the UK than in Poland (25.9% vs 10.7%; p<0.001). Unprotected sex with a casual partner while in the UK was reported more often by those with a lower rather than with high self-esteem (54.6% vs 20.5%; p<0.001), being in the ethnocentric stages of the sensitivity to difference on Bennett’s scale rather than those in the ethnorelative stages (44.2% vs 28.5%; p=0.003), and by those who did not receive sexual education at school (40.9% vs 20%; p=0.01). One in three (31.7%) of those who were engaged in unprotected sex with a casual partner had a history of STI versus 7% in the group who did not report it (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
- Polish migrants in the UK are more involved in high risk sexual behavior than when in Poland which may result in contracting a STI.
- The process of acculturation, together with low self-esteem can exert an marked impact on high risk sexual behavior.
- The results point to the establishment of greater access to specialists for Polish migrants in the UK to promote and maintain sexual health in this group.